Newspaper Clipping of the Day

The nature of my blog has forced me to come up with a lot of weird labels for my posts.  However, I never thought that "alligator rain" would be among them.  From the "Newbern Spectator," August 15, 1829, (via Newspapers.com):

Whilst the philosophic world is absorbed by the attempt to unravel the mystery connected with the frequent visits to the earth of those incomprehensible strangers, termed Meteorites, and to assign some probable cause of their origin and descent--we beg leave to present naturalists with another nut to crack--which if not quite so great a draw upon credulity as some events that have happened, may safely be classed among those denominated “wonderful!”   We are sorry that the circumstances detailed are not of a more recent date, since we are aware much of the wonderment usually excited by such phenomena, depends upon their proximity to present time.  It is, however, but a few days since we were placed in possession of the facts, and they are presented to our readers as we received them, with every particular of name, place, and date, that each may believe, according to the light of his understanding, and the strength of his faith.

In the summer of 1811, an unusually black, turbid-looking cloud passed down the western edge of Emanuel County, in this State, from which fell torrents of rain, and an uncommon quantity of electric fluid--its duration was short.  Immediately after the storm had subsided, our informant, Col. Stephen Swain, (Senator from Emanuel) went into a field about one mile distant from his house, containing an area of about fifteen or twenty acres, and in passing through it, discovered a trail as if some animal had been dragged along the ground.  Following it to a short distance, he discovered the dead body of a huge Alligator, measuring between eight and nine feet in length!  Desirous to ascertain where and how it had entered the field, which was enclosed by an excellent fence, as well as to discover the cause of its death, Col. Swain retraced the track made by the Alligator, until he arrived at the centre of the field, where it stopped; at this point the earth was much torn up, exhibiting the appearance of having been crushed by the fall of a large limb of a tree, or some other body of great weight, having fallen with violence upon it.  There was not the slightest sign discovered of its having been beyond this spot.  The part of the Alligator which in the species is black, in this instance was uncommonly so, and together with the protuberances upon his back and sides, was perfectly smooth and polished, as if caused by constant friction--The same was remarked of the belly of the animal, which was unusually white and shining.  Our informant adds, that the appearance of the animal was such as indicated him to be an inhabitant of another region--and that there existed not a reason to doubt its having been ejected from the cloud just passed over.  Mortally wounded by the violence of the fall, it had been unable to crawl beyond the distance of about one hundred yards, where it was found dead.  The belief of its having been thrown from the cloud, is strengthened by the fact that on the same day, and during the same fall of rain, several small Alligators, about 16 or 18 inches in length, fell in the neighborhood; one of them falling down the chimney of a house distant two or three miles from the field wherein the larger one was discovered.

We have lately read of “a shower of eels” having fallen to the northward of us, and small fish have frequently been found after rain in places to which they had no way of access, but by descent with the rain.  Meteoric stones, too, weighing considerably more than the heaviest alligator, have been cast upon us from higher regions.  Why then should the lip of incredulity be curled with the smile of derision, when it is stated that a family of alligators had taken it into their heads to visit, by this mode of conveyance, the good people of Emanuel County?